Charlize Theron graces the cover of W magazine’s February 2012 issue wearing a silk chiffon Bottega Veneta gown and Martin Katz earrings. Inside, she discusses her childhood in South Africa, becoming an actress, and liking the characters she plays.

On her early childhood: “For the first eight years of my life, I didn’t have front teeth. I was pretty sick as an infant, and antibiotics rotted them. But then I started to take dance classes, and I eventually got some teeth [laughs]. When I was 16, I went to Milan to model.”

On whether she likes the characters she plays: “I don’t think I need to like my characters. I do think empathy is very important. It’s crucial to understand circumstance and story to grasp the role in a truthful manner. Your characters are like your children: Sometimes they make you proud, and other times, you think, Oh, really?!”

On becoming an actress: “I wanted to be a ballerina, but I was too tall, and I had too many injuries. What I loved as a ballerina was telling stories, and I could also do that with acting, so I eventually moved to L.A.”

Also inside the February 2012 issue: a spring fashion report and a guide to the year’s brightest film stars. For more, pick up the issue when it arrives on newsstands on January 24 or head to WMagazine.com.